Apparatus for arc welding



Aug. 13,

TIEL l w. c.A HUGULEY APPARATUS FOR ARC WELDING Filed July 28, 1944 3Sheets-Sheet l ORNEY Allg 13, 1946 lw. c. HUGU-LEY APPARATUS FOR ARCWELDING Filed July :28, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 TTORNEY Aug 13, 1946- 'w.c. HUGULEY APPARATUS FOR ARC WELDING 3 sheets-sheet s Filed July 28,1944 INVENTOR /u /A/W 6'. Haal/fx oRNEY Patented Aug. 13, 1946 UNITEDSTAT-ES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to an apparatus for arcwelding, brazing, soldering and analogous operations. The invention isparticularly adapted for use in arc welding systemsI wherein the arc ismaintained in a gaseous atmosphere by directing a stream of hydrogen orother gas toward the arc gap.

In carrying out my invention, I preferably utilize an inverted bell jaras a chamber in which the arc welding apparatus may be positioned andoperated. I have found that in the use of an apparatus of thischaracter, occasionally there occurs a backring probably due to the airentering through the open end of the bell jar. The objection noted ispreferably obviated in the carrying out of my invention by the provisionof a system and apparatus for arc Welding wherein the arc welding unitand the work to be welded are positioned in a chamber substantiallyisolated from the room atmosphere.

In the apparatus of my invention, an apparatus having electrodesdefining an arc gap, is positioned within a chamber, and the operationof Welding is performed therein, said chamber being provided with meansfor inspecting the operation from time to time and with means formoving'the work into and out ofthe chamber and from station to stationtherein as desired. A further object of the invention is to provideanapparatus of the character described provided with means tosubstantially isolate the electrodes, the gas passed thereover, and thework being operated on from the atmosphere.

These and other advantageous objects, which will later appear, areaccomplished by the simple and practical construction and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described, and exhibited in the accompanying drawings,forming part hereof, wherein similar reference characters designate likeparts, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational, partly sectional view of the upper portion ofthe apparatus embodying my invention shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the chamber portion of the apparatuscorresponding generally to the section of the chamber shown in Fig. 1but showing a form thereof wherein th'e chamber is provided with a gasdischarge outlet,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, top plan view of the pawl and ratchet mechanismwhich may be utiliZed in carrying out my invention, taken on line 4-4 ofFig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of a handle supporting means, taken online 5-5 of Fig. 6,

4 Claims. (Cl. 219-14) Fig. 6 is a front elevational view thereof,

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 'I--T of Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of a means for elevating and lowering thework which may be used in th'e apparatus of my invention,

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view of the chamber portion of anotherform of the invention,

Fig. 10 is an enlarged top plan View; taken on line I0--I0 of Fig. 1, ofa spring member or the like which may be used in the apparatus of myinvention, and

Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view, taken on line I I--I I of Fig.10 and perpendicular to Fig. 10.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, embodying one form of my invention,the chamber housing II is preferably mounted on a suitable table I2 bymeans of brackets I3 or the like, whereby the said chamber housing I Iis disposed in spaced relation to the table I2, for a purpose presentlyexplained. The table I2 is provided with means generally designated bythe numeral I4 on which the work I5 is adapted to be positioned, andwith means, generally designated by the numeral I6 (Fig. 2) forvertically reciprocating the work I5 into and out of the chamber I0 forthe welding operation. The chamber IU may, as shown in Fig. 1, besecured to the chamber housing II in any convenient or desired manner,as, for eX- ample, by being positioned on plate I'I defining the loweredge of chamber housing I I, the upper edge of the housing beingpreferably closed by cover I3, whereby said chamber I0 may be insertedinto and removed from the chamber I 0. The housing I I is preferablymade of an opaque material, while the chamber I0 may be of a transparentor translucent material; the housing II is preferably provided with oneor more windows I9 having transparent panes 20, and with translucentdoors 2| hinged at 22 t0 the housing I I in registry with said windowsso that th'e operator of the apparatus may look through the translucentdoor 2| .to generally observe the welding operation or may look directlythrough the pane 20 when he desires to so do, by simply lifting the door2I.

The electrodes 23 are preferably mounted on a holding unit 24 which maybe of any convenient or desired construction, said holding unit 24 beingcarried by a handle 25 (see Figs. 5-7) which is pivotally mounted on abar 26, the latter being provided with a bolt 2-8 adapted to threadedlyengage bearing 2'I (see Fig. 5) for vertically adjusting the positionVof said handle and parts carried thereby. The bar 26 is slidablyarranged in said bearing 21 (see Fig. '7) and the latter is providedwith stop members 29, 23 for permitting limited pivotal movement of thehandle 25 (and the unit 24) to bring the arc-deiining ends of electrodes23 into and out of operative proximity to the work I being operated on,as shown in Fig. 1. The bearing member 21 is maintained in spacedrelation to the table l2 by being provided with a flanged portion 98fixed to the bracket 91 having a spacing post portion 3l" fixed to thetable l2. The apparatus is provided with means, such as a pipe line 3l),connected at one end to a source of hydrogen (not shown) having adischarge nozzle 3l vcarried by unit 24 or otherwise positioned in theapparatus, the nozzle being preferably directed toward the arc-deningends of the electrodes to bring about the molecular-atomic reactionfamiliar to those skilled in this art to liberate or generate theintense heat used for welding. If desired, a gauge 32 and valve 33 maybe interposed in the pipe line 30 and incorporated in the apparatus toenable the operato-r to observe and regulate the ilow of gas. Theapparatus described is subject to occasional flaring up and "back-ringas well as to dilution of the hydrogen gas, due to air entering thechamber through the lower end thereof.

I have provided the novel means shown in Figs. 1 and 3 whereby arelatively inert gas, such as nitrogen, issuing from the pipe line 34 atthe Open end of chamber l0, may effectively obviate the objectionsreferred to. By this arrangement the welding arc, the work being welded,and the hydrogen gas used in the apparatus are effectively sealed fromthe atmosphere.

Figs. 1 and 3 show forms of structure for this purpose, wherein thenitrogen pipe line 34 is connected to a ring 35 or the like, within thechamer lll, at the lower end thereof, said ring being provided withapertures 36 through which the nitrogen gas N2 passes into the interiorof the chamber Il). It will be noted that, as the discharge nozzle 3i ofthe hydrogen pipe line 30 is disposed within the chamber it! at adistance above the ring 35, the upper portion of the interior of thechamber l!) will have a hydrogen atmosphere, while the lower portionthereof will have a nitrogen atmosphere. I have indicated the use ofnitrogen gas as the same is lighter than oxygen and would thereforeexclude the latter from entering the chamber lil. At the same time,nitrogen being lighter than oxygen but heavier than hydrogen, wouldeffectively serve the purpose described, neither rising within thechamber to displace the hydrogen gas nor permitting oxygen from theatmosphere to enter the chamber. The nitrogen pipe line 34 may beprovided with a gauge and valve 31 whereby the operator of the devicemay observe and regulate the passage of nitrogen gas into the chamberl0.

Any of the other substantially inert gases or vapors may be substitutedfor nitrogen within the scope of this invention. The use of the termshydrogen and nitrogen in the speciiication and claims of the applicationshall be deemed to include gases or vapors of similar characteristics,within the scope of my invention.

In the structure shown in Fig. 3, the chamber i0 is provided with adome-shaped upper portion 38 having an outlet aperture 39 through whichthe excess gases may escape or be discharged. If desired, the outletaperture 39 may have a discharge conduit 40 in registry therewith lOlfor discharge into the atmosphere or into the path of a resistance unit4I or the like as shown in Fig. 3, which will ignite the dischargedgases.

While I have disclosed a resistance unit 4l which may be connected to asource of electric current (not shown) any other means may besubstituted within the scope of the invention for the discharge orburning of the gases passing through the pipe 4l).

I have desc-ribed the apparatus wherein an electrode holding unit 24 maybe mounted as shown in Fig. 1, for example; the structure described inconnection with electrode holding unit 24 may be duplicated forsimultaneous, station, or progressive welding within the purview of thisinvention. In Fig. 9, for example, there is a diagrammatic showing ofthe chamber l0 provided with two electrode holding units on which thepairs of electrodes 23 are mounted for welding the work i5.

While I have shown a cam and pawl structure for progressively rotatingthe work into the path of the electrode are, as presently moreparticularly described, and a rack and pinion arrangement for elevatingand lowering the work into and out of the chamber lil, any other meansfor attaining the same ends may be substituted within the purview ofthis invention.

The means shown in Figs. 1 and 4 for intermittently rotating the work l5comprises a bar 42, to one end of which the work may be afxed in anydesired or convenient manner, the other end of said bar passing througha tube 43 rotatably suspended in sleeve 44 which is preferably integralwith bracket 91, spaced from the table l2 by the post 91. Said bar 42has a keyway 49 to receivev a key 46 to key a boss 41., integral withthe ratchet 45, to the tube 43 and bar 42, said key 46 passing throughan aperture in tube 43 and into registry with keyway 49 of the bar 42.By the construction described, the bar 42 may be rotated step-by-step,in unison with the rotation of the ratchet 45, responsive to the actionof pawl 50 in an arrangement more particularly shown in Fig. 4. The tube43 has a collar 48 xed to the upper end thereof, said collar beingadapted to rotate on sleeve 44 of bracket 91. The tube extends freelyinto the casing 5l to a point adjacent the lower end thereof as shown inFig. 8. The bar 42, even when elevated to its highest position, shown inFig. 1, protrudes into the casing 5l and is connected therein with apost 52 also slidably arranged in the tube 43, the connection of parts42 and 52 being generally designated by the broken showing (Fig. 1) as apin in post 52 protruding into the perimeter recess of a stud carried bybar 42, the stud being rotatably received in a recess in post 52, thearrangement being such that the parts will vertically reciprocate in thetube 43 in unison but the post 52 will not rotate on the rotation of thebar 42. The post 52 is provided with a rack 53 keyed thereto by anydesired or convenient means and adapted to be engaged by the pinion 54or the like keyed to shaft 55 which is rotatably journalled in bearings56 in the open housing 51 secured to the lower end of casing 5I. Thelower end of the rack 53 is provided with a circumferential perimeterrecess 58 adapted to be engaged by the free end of a spring or similaryieldable means 59 fixed at one end to the housing 51, when saidcircumferential recess is in registry with said springs 59. The shaft 55to which the pinion 54 is keyed has a gear 60 in mesh with a gear 6I(see Fig. 8) the latter being keyed to the lower end of a post 62, theupper end of said post having the handwheel 63 or the like keyed theretoadjacent table |2. The post 62 is journalled in bearings 64 and 65 orthe like integral with or secured to the table I2 and casing 5|respectively, the last mentioned bearing serving also as a support forone end of shaft 55 as shown in Fig. 3.

The pawl 50 (see Fig. 4) may be actuated by any suitable or convenientmeans. For example, said pawl may be pivotally mounted on a link 66 bypivot pin 61, the link being provided with a ring 68 (preferablyintegral therewith) rotatably disposed on the tube 43 as shown in Fig.4. Link 66 is pivotally secured at 10 to link 69 which is positioned inthe aperture 1| of bearing 12 and is adapted to be reciprocated therein,so that, as will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 4, onreciprocating the link 69 through the aperture 1| of the bearing 12, thelink 66 will be pivoted around the tube 43, causing the nose 1| of thepawl 50 to progressively engage teeth 13 of ratchet 13 which is integralwith and has an upstanding boss 41 provided with an aperture throughwhich the key 46 passes for registry with the keyway 49 of the bar 42 aspreviously described. Spring 50 is fixed at one end to the link 66, the

Yfree end of the spring bearing against the pawl 50 serving to maintainthe pawl in engagement with the ratchet. A rod R or the like may engagethe link to enable the latter to be manually displaced from the ratchetby the operator when desired.

The bar 42 and `the work l5 carried thereby are rotated in astep-by-step rotation to position the work in registry with the arcdened by the electrodes 23, as will be apparent from an inspection ofFig. 1. A plurality of units 14 of work l5 to be welded may thus beselectively brought into registry with the electrodes. The operator canselectively tilt the electrode holder unit 24 into its operativeposition for welding the work, in which position the handle 25 lwill'abut the stop 29. To maintain the electrode holding unit 24 in theposition of selected abutment with the stop 29 or a stop 29', I haveprovided means for frictionally engaging the handle 25 of the electrodeholding unit, said means being sectionally shown in Fig. '1, andcomprising a threaded boss 15 on the bar 29 in registry with an aperture1.6, a ball piece 11being positioned in said aperture 16 with spring 18interposed between said member 11 and a nut 19 closing the boss 15 andmaintaining the spring in position. As will be apparent from Fig. 7,ball piece 11 will be `constantly held in frictional engagement with thehandle 25 to maintain the latter in the position in which it has beenplaced by the operator until it is desired to manually tilt the same toanother position.

Any desired or convenient means may be prcvided for reciprocating thelink 69 in the aperture 1| of the bearing 12. For example, as shown inthe drawings, said means may comprise a link 80 pivoted to the link 69by any suitable or convenient means, such as, for example by a pivot pin8| passing through both of said members, one end of link 80 beingpositioned in a slot 82 at the end of the link 69, the other end of link80 being pivotally secured to rod 84 which depends downwardly atsubstantially right angles through an elongated aperture 85 in the tablel2. Rod 84 is medially pivoted in bearing 86 by pivot pin 81 or thelike, as will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. 4 and 1. On thehorizontal reciprocating of the lower end of the rod 80, the upper endof said rod will be reciprocated and this motion will be transmitted tothe link 69 in the form of a horizontal straight reciprocating motioninstead of an arcuate reciprocation.

The lower end of the rod 84 is reciprocated in any desired or convenientmanner, preferably, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by providing said rodwith an elongated slot 88 at the lower end thereof to freely receive apin 89 eccentrically xed to and depending from the face of disc 90 keyedto the shaft 9| of a speed reducing unit which is actuated throughpulley or other means 92 by a mou tor 93. Any other arrangement forimparting reciprocating motion to the lower end of the rod 84 may besubstituted, within the scope of my invention. It will be apparent thaton the continuous rotation of the shaft 9| which is, as described,preferably actuated by the motor 93, the plate 90 will rotate and, asthe pin 89 is eccentrically disposed on the plate 90 relative to theshaft 9|, the pin 89 moving in slot 88 of rod 84 will reciprocate rod 84and actuate pawl 50.

The electrodes 23 are preferably connected t0 a source of current (notshown) by any suitable or convenient means, as for example, by theelectric cables 9| carried by the handle 25 and having electricalconnection with the electrodes 23 in any desired or convenient manner,said cables 9| being connected with an electric power source. Ifdesired, the apparatus may be provided with a meter for informing theoperator of voltage and other conditions, said meter being generallyshown in Fig. 2 and being designated by the numeral 95, the meterconnections being of any conventional or desired type.

A work-holding xture 96 is provided for holding the work, said iixtureat the underside thereof having a stop piece 99 adapted to have abuttingregistry with the collar 48 of the tube 43 (when the bar 42 is in itslowermost position) and with a cap |00.

By rotating the handle S3, the gears 6| and will mesh, rotating theshaft 55, whereby the pinion 54 will engage the rack 53 to raise thepost 52 and bar 42. When the parts have been elevated to the positionshown in Fig. l, the recess 58 at the lower end of the post 52 willregister with the springs 59 of housing 51 and said springs will snapinto the recess 58 to thereby latch the parts and maintain them againstaccidental displacement during the step-by-step rotation of the bar 42as above described. When it is desired to lower the work, the handwheel63 is rotated in a reverse direction, causing the gears 9| and 60 tomesh and the pinion 54 to mesh with the rack 53 and move the post 52downwardly to initially displace the springs 59 from the recess 58 inthe post 52. As soon as the post 52 has displaced the springs 59, thepost 52 and bar 42 of the work holder will move downwardly practicallyof their own weight (the handwheel 53 rotating, of course), until thestop 99 abuts collar 48 of the tube 43.

The external diameter of the ring 35 is preferably slightly less thanthe internal diameter of the chamber I0 and the ring 35 may be providedwith means to vertically reciprocate the same within the chamber I0, asshown in Figure 3, this arrangement being equally applicable to otherforms of the invention, such as that shown in which the same may bevertically reciprocated, and with a stop protuberance 05 or the likewhich is normally adapted to abut the table l2 so that the parts will beat rest as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, with the ring 35 adjacent theopen end of the chamber It. The ring 35 is provided with apertures l I2or the like at the outer periphery thereof to provide for the escape ofnitrogen gas therethrough and against the inner walls of chamber lil.

By the arrangement described, it will be apparent that the operator ofthe device may conveniently vertically reciprocate the ring 35 to andfrom the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 3 to sweep the innerwalls of the chamber l with the ring 35, the nitrogen gas escapingthrough the apertures H2 being directed thereby against the inner wallsof said chamber, effectively clean` ing the same. This arrangementprovides a novel means :for cleaning the chamber. If desired, othermechanical or manual means may be provided to attain this end.

The pipe line 34 may be of a length which will readily permit of itsaccompanying the vertical reciprocation of the ring 35 in the chamber l@as above described or may be made of a flexible structure for thatpurpose.

It is desirable in welding, soldering, and brazing operations that thesections of the work at the point of application of heat and contact ofparts or addition of the soldering or fusing materials or alloys bemaintained under tension so that there may be a proper follow throughduring the flow of the materials 0n the application of high temperaturesattained by the means employed, such as by the electrodes 23 or thelike. Any suitable tension means may be used within the scope of myinvention for this purpose. I have illustrated in Figs. and 11 oneconvenient form of tension means. In Fig. 10 there is shown a -plate|96, preferably of spring metal, radially slitted to provide a pluralityof radial spring fingers It?, which, as shown in Fig. 1l, are downwardlybent and flattened at their peripheral ends itt, said spring fingers it?being preferably of a number at least equal to the number cf unit parts"ifi of work positioned in the work holding xture SES. Said fixture isso constructed that the upper end of each unit lli of work projectsthrough the upper end IDB (Fig. 1) of work holding iiXture t, the springplate lll being so arranged in xture S5 that the ends il of springfingers it? will bear upon the protruding ends of the units 'ld of workand will hold said units 'Ill tensioned against the other sections Htlof work positioned in the work holding fixture 98. The spring plate IGSis preferably provided with aperture l l l or the like adapted to havesliding engagement with the post 42 or like positioning means in thework holding fixture 9S. Any other desired or convenient means may beused to hold the said spring plate it in the work holding iixture 9S.

As before stated, the apparatus of my invention is adapted for use inwelding, brazing, soldering and analogous operations wherein thestructure may be used to advantage; to this end, conventionalexpedients, such as the interposing of silver soldering rings and thelike between the parts to be united, etc., which would be obvious tothose skilled in the art, may be utilized in practicing 8, theinvention. The term arc Welding wherever used in the title, specicationand claims of this application shall be deemed to include other systemssuch as soldering, brazing and the like, wherein the structure of theinvention may be used to advantage.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for arc welding comprising a chamber, means forintroducing the Work to be Welded into said chamber, a pair ofelectrodes pivotally mounted and axially adjustably positioned in saidapparatus for juxtapositioning relative to the work, means for advancingsaid Work relative to said electrodes, means for enveloping theelectrode ends and work in a hydrogen atmosphere and means to seal saidhydrogen atmosphere from the atmosphere of the room in which theapparatus is located.

2. In an apparatus for arc Welding, a table, a chamber provided with anopen end, bracket means on said table engaging said chamber to positionthe latter on the table in spaced relation thereto and with the open endthereof facing the table, a post xed to said table in spaced relation tothe open end of said chamber, a bracket secured to said post, a bearingon said bracket, a handle pivotally mounted on said bearing, means toaxially adjust the position of the handle on the bearing, stop memberson said bracket to limit the pivotal movement of said handle thereon,and means reciprocably positioned in said table for carrying articles tobe welded into and out of said chamber, said handle being adapted tohave electrode members secured thereto, whereby said electrode membersmay be reciprocated in said chamber relative to the work on the limtedpivotal movement of said handle.

3. In an apparatus for arc Welding, a table, a chamber provided with anopen end, bracket means on said table engaging said chamber to positionthe latter on the table in spaced relation thereto, and with the openend thereof facing the table, a post fixed to said table in spacedrelation to the open end 0I" said chamber, a bracket secured to saidpost, a handle pivotally mount ed on said bracket, stop members on saidbracket to limit the pivotal movement of said handle thereon, meansreciprocably positioned in said table for carrying articles to be Weldedinto and out of said chamber, and means engaging said handle to secureelectrode members thereto, whereby said electrode members may bereciprccated in said chamber relative to the Work by ie limited pivotalmovement of said handle.

4. In an apparatus for arc welding, a table, a chamber provided with anopen end, bracket means on said table engaging said chamber to positionthe latter on the table in spaced relation thereto, and with the openend thereof facing the table, a post fixed to said table in spacedrelation to the open end of said chamber, a bracket secured to saidpost, an electrode supporting member pivotally mounted on said bracket,stop members on said bracket to limit the pivotal movement of saidmember thereon, and means on said table for selectively carryingarticles to be welded into and out of said chamber.

WILLIAM C. HUGULEY.

